Friends of the Month: Amritpal Gill

Friends of LabourList are vital in supporting our work. Every month, we celebrate one of our Friends and learn a little more about them. This month, we spoke to Amritpal Gill, who joined the Labour Party in 2019.

Who is your Labour hero?

I have two! Sir Stephen Timms and Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Lyn Brown), both the MPs for East/West Ham for most of my life and before – shining examples of what Labour does for communities.

When and why did you join the Labour Party?

I joined in 2019, mainly because I was frustrated the by excuses and ideology of the Conservative government that made most people’s lives worse-off. They just don’t have their heads screwed on when it comes to most policies! Although I guess we’ve always been a Labour family anyway so that wasn’t the sole reason, but a big contributor for sure.

Tell us about your Labour journey

I started door-knocking at the last General Election and have been trying to get more involved since, initially I joined to support the party financially but as time has passed I want to do so much more. As members we can’t say we don’t have a voice if we refuse to speak up, like with most things it’s hard-yards! You definitely get out what you put in at the Labour Party, just turning up means you’re halfway there. Discipline is important too, in life not everything goes our way – so long as we’re moving in the right direction I consider it a win.

If you could say one thing to the Prime Minister, what would it be?

Everyone has a different idea of what ‘good’ looks like. People are happy to speak their mind but reticent about responsibility. Do what you think is right, you won’t please everyone but people will respect the integrity of sticking with your beliefs.

Why is LabourList important?

Frankly, most of the news in the UK and globally does not represent society at large. LabourList gives a distinct voice, expert opinion and the incisiveness which the Labour Party needs. With a bold party like Labour, critical friends are so important – to celebrate the wins, and to help us learn the lessons to move forward. We’re doing ‘big things’ and it helps to talk about who we are with our own words.

Why did you become a Friend of LabourList?

I like the articles I guess? The mug was a nice bonus.

Would you like to be a future Friend of the Month? Learn a little more about our community, and what becoming a Friend can offer you, here.